Here Are More Activities to Keep The Kids Amused at Home
The school year will soon be coming to a close, meaning e-learning is one less thing to keep kids occupied during quarantine. We’ve previously shared some of our go-to resources for curing the boredom bug, but because there can never be too many ideas for keeping them occupied, we have more! Here are some ways children can stay busy and give you a moment or two of reprieve.
Get Creative
West Loop’s Chicago Children’s Theatre has announced its first-ever Play@Home contest. Kids ages 12 and under are challenged to create and film their own five-minute plays, encouraging them to use their imaginations by writing their own scripts and creating original props. The submission deadline is May 31, and the winner will receive their choice of a family four pack to the theatre’s 2020/2021 season or one free class session.
Get Artistic
Best-selling children’s author and illustrator Mo Willems invites children into his studio as he teaches them how to draw every weekday on YouTube. The LUNCH DOODLES series takes place at 12:00 pm CST and lasts 20 minutes each, keeping lunchtime interesting and interactive.
Get Educational
Make any room a classroom and help your curious learners stay informed and on-track with free access to BrainPOP, a trusted educational resource with engaging videos, games, and activities. The site covers every subject under the sun, from the nature of the universe to the history of famous musicians like Louis Armstrong to topics like practical math and algebra.
Get Mindful
Even kids could use a little namaste right now. Teach them yoga and mindfulness with Yoga Ed’s collection of 400+ family-friendly videos on YouTube. These videos include educational classes, brain breaks, and relaxation courses that are suitable for both children and teens. There are even videos made specifically for adults so you can relax your mind and body too.
Get Moving
GoNoodle keeps kids engaged with movement and mindfulness videos created by child development experts. The site has online games and activities that benefit children’s physical wellness, academic success, and social-emotional health.
Get Scientific
California Science Center has a wealth of easy-to-follow activities for kids to do using household supplies that are fun and educational. With live video streams and a schedule of daily activities every week, their “Stuck at Home Science” programming will have kids’ hands and minds busy, and will give you some well-deserved “me” time.
Frost Science is a great resource for DIY science and at-home activities. Step-by-step videos show how to make plastic out of milk, how to build your own bubbles, and how to tell what time it is using the sun and its shadow.
You can also bring NASA into the home classroom by exploring the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, which is full of lessons, activities, blogs, and videos.
Get the Neighborhood Involved
As the weather gets warmer, there are still safe ways for kids to spend some much-needed time outdoors. Organize a scavenger hunt with a list of things for the kids to find around the neighborhood. Some ideas include finding a house made entirely of brick, a cool and unique mailbox, an old tree, and a freshly planted flower. The older the kids are, the more you can up the ante and difficulty of items.
Recently you may have noticed an influx of teddy bears popping up in windows around the country. They are there to encourage families to take walks through the neighborhoods as their children search for the bears. Get your neighborhood involved by posting on your community’s Nextdoor or Facebook page. Take it a step further by having kids hang their own drawings in the window or on the front door instead.
Need additional resources to keep the kiddos entertained? KidsActivites.com has a complete list of all education companies offering free subscriptions due to school closings. Enjoy!
